Inkjet printer with inkjet heads in overlapping arrangement

Abstract

An inkjet printer includes first and second inkjet heads arranged to partially overlap each other in a main scanning direction and configured to eject ink to a print medium conveyed in a direction orthogonal to the main scanning direction and a controller. The controller is configured to perform a distribution processing of distributing a number of drops of ink for each of pixels in an image to be printed by an overlap portion of the first inkjet head and the second inkjet head based on a random number between first nozzles of the first inkjet head and second nozzles of the second inkjet head overlapping each other.

The invention claimed is: 
     
       1. An inkjet printer comprising:
 a first inkjet head including first nozzles arranged in a main scanning direction, the first inkjet head configured to eject ink to a print medium conveyed in a direction orthogonal to the main scanning direction; 
 a second inkjet head including second nozzles arranged in the main scanning direction, the second inkjet head configured to eject ink to the print medium conveyed in the direction orthogonal to the main scanning direction; 
 a random number generator; and 
 a controller configured to control the first inkjet head and the second inkjet head to eject the ink from the first nozzles and the second nozzles respectively and print an image on the print medium, based on an image data indicating a number of drops of ink for each of pixels, wherein 
 the first inkjet head and the second inkjet head are arranged to partially overlap each other in the main scanning direction, 
 the controller is configured to determine the random distribution of and to randomly distribute the number of drops of the ink for each of the pixels in the image to be printed by an overlap portion of the first inkjet head and the second inkjet head based on a random number generated by the random number generator between the first nozzles of the first inkjet head and the second nozzles of the second inkjet head overlapping each other using distribution processing, and 
 when determining the random distribution, the controller is configured to
 drive the random number generator to generate a random number with respect to the first nozzles of the first inkjet head in the overlap portion and determine the number of drops of the ink to be ejected from each of the first nozzles based on the generated random number, and 
 drive the random number generator to generate a random number with respect to the second nozzles of the second inkjet head in the overlap portion and determine the number of drops of the ink to be ejected from each of the second nozzles based on the generated random number. 
 
 
     
     
       2. The inkjet printer according to  claim 1 , wherein the controller is configured to determine the random distribution in which priorities of distribution of the number of drops to the first inkjet head and the second inkjet head are changed by degrees in the main scanning direction in the overlap portion. 
     
     
       3. The inkjet printer according to  claim 1 , wherein
 when determining the random distribution, the controller is configured to:
 perform an unbiased distribution of the number of drops of the ink with respect to the first nozzles of the first inkjet head in the overlap portion; and 
 perform an unbiased distribution of the number of drops of the ink with respect to the second nozzles of the second inkjet head in the overlap portion. 
 
 
     
     
       4. The inkjet printer according to  claim 1 , wherein when determining the random distribution, the controller is configured to distribute the number of drops of the ink with respect to the first nozzles of the first inkjet head in the overlap portion and the second nozzles of the second inkjet head in the overlap portion, by using a same allocation table in which a number of drops in the image data of each of the pixels, a random number, and a number of drops to be distributed to the first nozzles of the first inkjet head in the overlap portion and the second nozzles of the second inkjet head in the overlap portion are associated with one another. 
     
     
       5. The inkjet printer according to  claim 1 , wherein
 the random number generator is configured to generate a random number for each line printed by the first and second ink jet heads in the main scanning direction, and 
 the controller is configured to determine the random distribution based on each random number generated by the random number generator for each line. 
 
     
     
       6. An inkjet printer comprising:
 a first inkjet head including first nozzles arranged in a main scanning direction, the first inkjet head configured to eject ink to a print medium conveyed in a direction orthogonal to the main scanning direction; 
 a second inkjet head including second nozzles arranged in the main scanning direction, the second inkjet head configured to eject ink to the print medium conveyed in the direction orthogonal to the main scanning direction; and 
 a controller configured to control the first inkjet head and the second inkjet head to eject the ink from the first nozzles and the second nozzles respectively and print an image on the print medium, based on an image data indicating a number of drops of ink for each of pixels, wherein 
 the first inkjet head and the second inkjet head are arranged to partially overlap each other in the main scanning direction, 
 the controller is configured to perform a distribution processing of distributing the number of drops of the ink for each of the pixels in the image to be printed by an overlap portion of the first inkjet head and the second inkjet head based on a random number between the first nozzles of the first inkjet head and the second nozzles of the second inkjet head overlapping each other, and 
 the controller:
 is capable of selecting one of the distribution processing or a normal processing for each of lines in the main scanning direction in the image, the normal processing being a processing of switching nozzles to be used in printing of the image in the overlap portion between the first nozzles of the first inkjet head and the second nozzles of the second inkjet head at a specified position in the main scanning direction; and 
 is configured to select one of the distribution processing or the normal processing for each of the lines in the main scanning direction in the image based on a profile data indicating fluctuation in a conveyance speed of the print medium. 
 
 
     
     
       7. An inkjet printer comprising:
 a first inkjet head including first nozzles arranged in a main scanning direction, the first inkjet head configured to eject ink to a print medium conveyed in a direction orthogonal to the main scanning direction; 
 a second inkjet head including second nozzles arranged in the main scanning direction, the second inkjet head configured to eject ink to the print medium conveyed in the direction orthogonal to the main scanning direction; and 
 a controller configured to control the first inkjet head and the second inkjet head to eject the ink from the first nozzles and the second nozzles respectively and print an image on the print medium, based on an image data indicating a number of drops of ink for each of pixels; and 
 a detector configured to detect a conveyance speed of the print medium, wherein 
 the first inkjet head and the second inkjet head are arranged to partially overlap each other in the main scanning direction, 
 the controller is configured to perform a distribution processing of distributing the number of drops of the ink for each of the pixels in the image to be printed by an overlap portion of the first inkjet head and the second inkjet head based on a random number between the first nozzles of the first inkjet head and the second nozzles of the second inkjet head overlapping each other, and 
 the controller:
 is capable of selecting one of the distribution processing or a normal processing for each of lines in the main scanning direction in the image, the normal processing being a processing of switching nozzles to be used in printing of the image in the overlap portion between the first nozzles of the first inkjet head and the second nozzles of the second inkjet head at a specified position in the main scanning direction; and 
 is configured to select one of the distribution processing or the normal processing for each of the lines in the main scanning direction in the image based on an acceleration and a deceleration of the conveyance speed of the print medium detected by the detector.